Functionalized carbon nanotubes responsive to environmental stimuli

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have many potential applications in biological and biomedical sciences as nanoscale probes and sensors, which need CNTs to be able to respond to biologically relevant stimuli, such as pH, temperature, glucose, glutathione, various ions, enzymes and proteins, etc. This highlight examines several representative CNTs responsive to pH, temperature, glucose, ions and DNA, covering both noncovalently and covalently functionalized CNTs for advanced biosensors and bioprobes.